Can't
by ShougiKnight
Summary: Cana manages to get Lucy drunk and Natsu won't do anything about it because she looks like she's having fun. Makes him seething mad though. Jealous complex much? Fluffy Oneshot, possible two-shot. NaLu. First Fairy Tail fanfic! I love reviews! (especially constructive ones since I wrote this when I was half asleep at 2 am) Edited, thanks for the reviews guys! Keep 'em coming!


Erza was on a mission, so who was going to stop them from having fun?

So, Cana had finally gotten to Lucy. Yes, the Booze Queen had finally convinced her to join in the fun. Which really just meant that everyone else in the guild got to have fun. You could pretty much tell from her personality, Lucy was a flirty drunk. Better than that, she wasn't much of a lightweight. Once she got buzzed it took A LOT more than they expected to actually get her properly drunk. Of course the whole guild had helped.

Gray didn't mean to convince her to take her top off. But hey, nobody was complaining that she was waltzing around in a strapless pink lacy bra and miniskirt.

Mirajane was at least kind enough to stow her whip and keys behind the bar so she wouldn't lose them.

Cana and Macao were laughing uproariously and keeping her drinks coming.

Of course, Loke wouldn't leave her side; he just loved the attention.

Juvia was running human-wall distraction technique #4 to keep the giggling, flirting princess away from her Gray.

At the bar, Makarov had been in a semi-catatonic state ever since her top came off.

In the corner, Gajeel and Levi were too otherwise occupied to bother helping out.

Even Elfman was running around saying how she was SO MANLY for having drank so much.

Well, truth be told... _almost_ everyone was having fun.

Natsu was sulking in the corner.

You know as well as I do that once the guild had their fun, and Lucy was well and drunk, they decided to call it a night and let her be. Nobody wanted to pick on her too much, they still cared, ya know? But a little fun at her expense was definitely healthy; built good character. It's practically a requirement to be in Fairy Tail.

"Cana, I dun wanna have more beer." Lucy's forehead was planted on a table while she muttered to herself, abandoned at one of the long wood tables in the middle of the guild hall.

Natsu sighed and stretched out from his table in the corner where he'd been pouting. He stalked over to Lucy's table and yanked her arm up and over his shoulder.

"Come on, Luce. We're goin home."

"Whuh? Nassu? Where'd you come from?"

"We're going home, Lucy."

"Oh."

….

"Why is the room spinning? Are we dancing?"

"No, Lucy. You're just drunk."

"They're mean. Why would they get me drunk? I'm underage, right?"

"With a rack like that no cop'll figure."

"Whud'you say?"

"Nothing, Lucy. Let's get you home."

"Don't leave me alone, kay?"

"I won't. I promise."

They walked in silence for a good long while before Lucy started rambling again, it was clear she still remembered most of the night.

"Why would all of those boys flirt with me like that? None of them are serious and I have to try SO hard to look pretty. Nassu? Do you know how long it takes me to look this good in the mornings?"

"Lucy, I re—"

"It takes me HOURS and just so that guys will look at me. But they don't look at me very long and then they're just perving on me. I want to have their attention but nobody wants to get to KNOW me and UGH boys are so STUPID. I dun wanna dress up pretty anymore. I'm really, really done being a stupid pretty princess all the time!" She stomped her foot and just barely missed Natsu's toe.

"This is your house, Lucy. Do you have the key?"

Lucy groped around her skirt for a minute before sighing dramatically. "No! Mira has them. I'll just have to go ba—"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Nevermind, we'll go my way." He scooped her up and jumped up to her slightly ajar second story bedroom window.

Lucy grabbed at her head. "ohhh too fast. Why do I always leave that damn window open anyway?"

Natsu smiled ruefully. "Sometimes I wonder the same thing. But hey, I'm not complaining."

Lucy steadied herself against Natsu's chest with one hand as she carefully stepped down from her window sill. Despite this, her legs gave out and she sat down hard on the bed, legs dangling over the side, with the wind knocked out of her.

Natsu sighed and jumped down, wandering to her kitchen. "Lucy, where are your aspirin tablets? You're going to need them." He walked back a few seconds later with a glass of water and a heel of a bread loaf.

"Here, you'll need these to make sure you're not hungover tomorrow. Now where is your aspirin?"

She took the glass and bread and looked down confused. "Uhm… bathroom, behind the mirror, I think." Her hand was shaking but she took a long gulp of water and a feral bite of the bread.

He wandered off into her bathroom that smelled like too many beauty products. Ugh, he hated it, it completely frizzed out his super awesome dragon senses. He wrinkled his nose and held his breath, grabbing at the aspirin bottle, bolting out to fresh air as soon as he had it.

"I have the bottle, you'll need to take one tonight and two in the morni—" he cut off when he saw her face. She had tears running down her cheeks, which were puffed up from the huge bites of bread she was trying to chew.

"What's wrong? Are you choking? Lucy?" He raced up and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up sadly and coughed out a sob, bread crumbs flying out of her mouth.

"Luce…" He took the bread out of her hands and put it on the bedside table next to the water glass. "What happened, what's the matter? Do I need to beat someone up? Please say yes."

She swallowed heavily, the rest of her bread, he assumed, and she flung herself onto his shoulder, sobbing loudly.

"Natsu! I'm just so ugly! Why do I have to try so hard to be pretty? I just want someone to be there for me. I guess I just need a boyfriend who will never leave, not like my mom or my stupid dad. I never had any friends. I'm just so weak and pathetic and I HATE MYSELF. And even FAIRY TAIL picks on me!" Lucy's senseless rant dissolved into hopeless sobs, making his scarf salty with her tears.

He was too shocked to do anything but rub her back. Did she really think that? Is that why she spent so long on her clothes, her hair, her nails, and everything? That was ridiculous and stupid.

He looked down at her. Even her super-mega-ultra-waterproof mascara was starting to run. He remembered the quest to get that one. It had taken two hours all by itself. And it cost nearly 100 Jewels.

He smiled a little and wiped up the black goop off of her cheek. See how much good that did her? It was not all that waterproof after all. She was looking up at him now, her cheeks were less flushed. The bread and water must have helped dilute the alcohol a little.

"Natsu, have you ever just _really_ wanted to kiss someone, but you can't?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. _Can't_? He didn't like that word.

"Well that's stupid, what's stopping you?"

"I…well, I just…" She stopped and looked at his chest for a moment, exhaling deeply. "What's stopping me?"

She looked up, her eyes were clear and determined. She looked like she was thinking a marathon in 2.6 seconds.

"Nothing." She tugged on his vest where her hands were still clutching, balled into the fabric and insistently pulled him closer.

He resisted for a second in surprise before losing his posture and sharply leaning forward. "Wha—"

She closed her eyes in concentration and kissed him with all she had. She simultaneously tried every trick in the book (that her mildly alcohol-addled brain could come up with anyway), which apparently didn't have the desired result.

Natsu chuckled and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her back. "Hey, Luce. I'm not sure you want to be doing that. Not that I'm complaining much." He smiled sadly and went to lay her down. "I shouldn't have let them get you drunk. I wasn't on top of my game tonight, I guess. You _looked _like you were having fun."

He laid her back on the pillow, mechanically tucked her in. She looked up wistfully but she couldn't see his eyes. He went to turn away but was stopped by her hand tugging on his vest.

"Natsu, don't leave me. You promised."

He turned, face still in shadow. "You're drunk and you remember that, huh? Fine, you win this round. Your bed's more comfortable anyway."

He scoffed. "I sound stupid. Sit up, Luce." She looked at him, confused but did as he said.

He slipped one knee under her head and then lifted her up until she was leaning on his chest. He was muttering the whole time. "Stupid Cana, stupid Macao, stupid Gray, this is not how you are supposed to treat family. Don't they know that by now?"

Lucy tried to settle in, her head was getting awfully heavy. "Natsu? Do you think I'm pretty?"

She could feel him freeze under her fingers. "Pretty? Sure..."

He paused and started rubbing her back in circles thoughtfully, "But I don't really like girly words like that. I think you're as dazzling as a firework, you're as strong as a forest fire, and you're as terrifying as public transportation. How's that?"

Her limbs felt heavy and her eyelids were heavier, but she felt her cheeks pull into a wide smile.

"You really think so, Natsu?"

"No. I know so, Lucy." He leaned his head back against the headboard and they both fell asleep.

N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L-N-L

Lucy woke up the next morning, with a pounding headache and the weirdest shaped pillow, ever. She sat up and grabbed for the glass of water, almost spilling it; and downed it with the pills and leftover bread.

Ugh… why had she let that happen again? She flopped over and heard a grunt from her pillow. She sat back up and blinked painfully. Natsu had fallen over, sprawled on his side and she had slept on his leg all night long. No wonder the pillow felt so weird.

She smiled down at him. Surprisingly she could still remember most of the night. He had been so sweet to her.

_I wanted someone who would never leave me._ She clutched at her chest, which had suddenly clenched with emotion. Natsu. She knew for a fact he would never leave her.

She pulled a blanket halfway over him in his weird sleeping position and smiled. "Natsu, I think I might love you, you big goof. But don't you dare get a big head, okay?"

She tottered over to the kitchen and got more water before changing into the comfiest sweatpants she owned and cleaning her makeup smudged face. She was just walking out of the bathroom toweling off her face when she felt arms cling to her from behind.

"You look really great right now. Ya know?" Natsu grinned sleepily into the back of her neck.

Lucy blushed, her cheeks flaming red. "Natsu! I'm in sweats, have no makeup on, and have a towel on my head!" He stepped around her to stand in front, hooking a finger under her chin.

"Really? I was just going to tell you that I liked your makeup today. Huh. Weird."

Now she was red to the tips of her ears. "You don't mean that, idiot." She pressed her palm against his chest to push him out of her way.

"Yeah, I really do, actually." He grinned down, ducking his head to look into her eyes. "In fact, I am not going to get a big head and I think I might just love you back."

Lucy's jaw dropped slightly as her eyes widened. _He had been awake for that? Crap!_

He laughed at her reaction, then paused with glee in his eyes, "Hey Lucy, have you ever really, really wanted to kiss someone, but for some reason every time you look at them you just…can't?"

Her heart skipped a beat and jumped painfully in her chest.

"W-well, what's…stopping you?" She finished and steeled herself, sticking her chin out defiantly.

"Good question." He smiled and leaned in until their lips were barely touching. "That's a very good question, you big goof."

His arms pulled her closer as he kissed her with all the gentleness that he could muster, though Lucy still thought that it was the roughest kiss she had ever had.

She smiled as her hangover headache began to ebb away.

And best yet, she knew for a fact that he would never leave.

FIN.


End file.
